Note: we are republishing this story amid the surge in violent crime America is currently facing amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
An 11 year old boy in Florida who reportedly strangled a 4-year-old boy has a history of choking other children and carrying around dead farm animals, police reported.
When police questioned the 11-year-old boy, he reported that he was angry at his mother when she told him she couldn’t afford presents or a party for his birthday, the Daily Mail reported. That apparently led to the boy choking his 4-year-old victim, Braydan Anthony Trahern, though police said the boy’s motivation remains unclear.
The boy said he wanted Braydan to “come back to life” during a discussion with police.
According to Putnam County police, the two boys lived together in a mobile home with their mothers. The mother of the 11-year-old boy has been identified as Vanessa Jones, and the mother of the victim has been identified as Kyra Trahern.
At around 4 a.m., a male friend staying as a guest in the house woke up to find Braydan slumped over and unresponsive. He also saw blood coming out of the boy's mouth.
The guest then called 911 while Jones attempted to revive the boy.
When police arrived they identified “suspicious bruises” on Braydan’s neck, according to the arrest warrant. He was then rushed to a Gainesville hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The 11-year-old boy was taken to a juvenile detention facility and charged with aggravated battery resulting in great bodily harm. It’s possible that the charges could be upgraded to murder.
“We just started our investigation,” John Harrell, Florida Department of Children and Families spokesperson said. “We're nowhere near determining whether abuse or neglect by the caregivers led to the death of this child.”
In the past, the 11-year-old boy has attempted to strangle another young child, according to his mother who spoke with police. When he was a toddler, he set his crib on fire and caused the house to burn down. The boy also has a fascination with dead animals and has been known to dig them up, cut off their limbs. and carry them around.
